1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a prefabricated wall assembly. More specifically, the invention relates to a prefabricated wall assembly having an outer foam layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prefabricated wall assemblies for use as walls of a building, such as residential buildings, or commercial buildings, are known in the art. A conventional prefabricated wall assembly is assembled offsite at a factory or warehouse. After assembly, the conventional prefabricated wall assembly is transported on-site were the building is to be constructed. The conventional prefabricated wall assembly reduces construction time to construct the building and reduces the labor cost for constructing the building.
The conventional prefabricated wall assembly includes a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a top member, a bottom member spaced from the top member, and a plurality of vertical members disposed between the top and bottom members. Typically, the top, bottom, and vertical members of the frame assembly comprise wood. The top, bottom, and vertical members of the frame assembly are coupled together using fasteners, such as nails or screws.
The conventional prefabricated wall assembly also includes an insulating layer coupled to the frame assembly. Typically, the fasteners are also used to couple the insulating material to the frame assembly. The insulating layer comprises preformed panels made from polystyrene. The insulating layer has a minimum thermal resistance value, or R-value, which depends on the climate in which the building is to be constructed. The thickness of the insulating layer is varied to produce different R-values. However, because the insulating layer comprises panels, which are preformed, a plurality of seams result between adjacent panels. The seams can be a source of reduced R-value and provide a path for weather elements, such as wind and water, to enter the frame assembly, which is undesirable.
The conventional prefabricated wall assembly includes an exterior sheathing, such as plywood or press wood board, adjacent the insulating layer opposite the frame assembly. The exterior sheathing is coupled to the frame assembly with the fasteners. As is the case with the preformed panels of the insulating layer, the exterior sheathing is available in preformed sheets. A plurality of seams are also formed between adjacent preformed sheets of the exterior sheathing. The seams between preformed sheets of the exterior sheathing also provide a pathway for the weather elements to penetrate the frame assembly. Typically, once the weather elements penetrate the conventional prefabricated wall assembly, the weather elements penetrate the frame assembly and eventually the building itself, which causes damage to an interior sheathing, such as drywall or gypsum board.
Once the conventional prefabricated wall assembly is on-site, a barrier layer, such as Tyvek® is added to the exterior sheathing in an effort to minimize the penetration of the weather elements into the conventional prefabricated wall assembly. However, over time, the weather elements can penetrate or circumvent the barrier layer, thus penetrating the conventional prefabricated wall assembly. Therefore, there remains a need to provide an improved prefabricated wall assembly.